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Morning Roundup - July 24th

It's not unusual for labor and management to talk about their differences.

But when Transportation Security Administration officials met with union leaders Thursday, they described the session as "historic."

It was the first-ever formal labor-management meeting between the agency and the union and the beginning of what labor leaders hope will be a relationship that could lead to TSA employees winning the right to collective bargaining in the nearfuture.

Labor leaders, shut out during the Bush administration, placed gaining collective bargaining rights for transportation security officers -- the screeners who make sure no one takes dangerous items on airplanes -- at the top of their agenda when the Obama administration took office.

"The past eight years with the Bush administration have been an uphill battle, and we are finally beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel," said American Federation of Government Employees President John Gage.Currently, unions can recruit officers as members, but labor organizations do not have the right to bargain on their behalf. Congress is considering legislation that would providethat ability.

One of the most important areas of concern to the 9/11 Commission members in their final report was the improvement of intelligence collection and dissemination across the board throughout government. In marking the fifth anniversary of the issuance of the 9/11 Commission Report Wednesday, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Janet Napolitano released a progress report outlining advancements in the Department’s capabilities to protect against and respond to acts of terrorism and other threats.

Not surprisingly, the report outlined the many actions that DHS has taken since it was created to improve and broaden the functioning of counterterrorism intelligence gathering, analysis, and sharing.

“The 9/11 Commission’s recommendations have in many ways set the course for the Department’s efforts to combat security threats,” said Napolitano. “We have answered these challenges by building an agency far better equipped to combat terrorism, and we will continue to expand these capabilities as we move forward in our mission to keep America safe and secure.”

Leadership Events11:45 AM EDTSecretary Napolitano and the National Security Preparedness Group will participate in a media availabilityDHS Headquarters, Building 21Nebraska Avenue Complex3801 Massachusetts Ave NWWashington, DC